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15 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,June 13,2019 w aterloochronicle.ca Voluntary Pay Contribution Program We ask you to consider contributing $30 per year towards delivery of your Community Newspaper. Many of our Readers have made the decision to show their support for the Waterloo Chronicle. It is our pleasure to provide the Waterloo area with a Community Newspaper. We Appr eciat e Your Supp ort! Yes! I would like to contribute to the Waterloo ChroniclePlease find a cheque for $30 enclosed for a 1 year contribution. Signature: _________________________________________________________ Name: _____________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________ City:___________________ Postal Code: ____________________________ Phone #: _______________________________ 475 thomPSoN drive, UNitS 1-4, CAmbridge, oN N1t 2k7 for more iNformAtioN CAll 519-623-7395 ext. 795080 I host a podcast called Work Passion Fit where I interview business leaders and talk about what they are passionate about. Over the years I have had some great discussions with some very thoughtful leaders. One memorable interview was with Bay McLaughlin- , chief operating officer of brinc (episode Jan. 12, 2018). Brinc is an accelerator based in Hong Kong. During this episode McLaughlin said one of the problems with advanced tech- nology is that software is mak- ing us soft. His thesis is that today's tech- nology companies should be looking to create meaningful and practical products, not soft- ware that ultimately dumbs us down. Recently in the Globe and Mail (May 27) there was an arti- cle on artificial intelligence and its impact on mental illness. The article talks about the vulnerability of jobs with the advancements being made in technology. Anxiety, and in- creased mental illness, is felt throughout all industries as ev- eryone is wondering if their jobs will exist in the future. So why do I raise these two points? To highlight a very im- portant social aspect with re- spect to companies. As a recruitment and reten- tion expert for the past 25 years I have come to realize there are, in general, two types of compa- nies. The companies which real- ize that the high-tech revolution which we are experiencing is not just a revolution about tech- nological advancements, but a sociological event that affects humanity in every which way. These are the companies that people ultimately want to work for. These are the companies that approach change with a positive social awareness, they leverage technological advan- cements in a transformative way and truly appreciate the human component in our daily interactions. These are the companies that typically win awards for best places to work, are recognized for their positive environmen- tal and social impact, and main- tain a healthier employment and career succession track re- cord. On the opposite side are the companies who use technology to dumb society down. I have witnessed firsthand that these companies have a short shelf life, they may get a great deal of publicity, they may make a lot of money or be given a lot of money by venture capitalists. Their CEOs may be common names in the social media cir- cles, but inevitably their com- pany's ethos starts to wilt. Employees start coming to me with stories of wanting to leave, they tell me of the lack of caring, of the abusive situations they find themselves in and they tell me that the shine and lustre are only mirages. Getting back to my podcast, I always ask my guests to define success. Ninety-eight per cent of the CEOs that I have spoken with tell me that success is more than company profit and per- sonally making money, success lies in something more human and is fundamentally deeper. As a recruiter it has always given me great pleasure to work with and associate myself with these affirmative companies. It is my belief that in their hands the technological revolution will turn out to be a positive his- torical event. John Francis is president of Theonera Inc., a fixed-fee re- cruitment firm based in Water- loo. He can be reached at john@theonera.com or 519-579- 6671. DEFINE SUCCESS FOR ME? OPINION SUCCESS IS MORE THAN PROFIT, WRITES JOHN FRANCIS JOHN FRANCIS Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA